BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford women's tennis team dropped just one match in an 8-1 win over Cecil on Wednesday afternoon at the Harford Community College courts, playing without its No. 1 player at singles.
The Fighting Owls (2-0, 1-0 MDJUCO) opened the conference season with a win over the abbreviated Seahawks team, dropping only one of the six total matches that were played. Cecil was forced to default at Nos. 5 and 6 singles as well as No. 3 doubles, due to the fact that the team consisted of only four players.
Harford also faced a disadvantage in the day's match as No. 1 singles player freshman Ashley Sherinsky (Fallston, Md./Fallston) competed only in the doubles match due to a tendon injury. This forced each player in the Owl lineup to move up one spot and prove that the team can step up and win even without the No. 1 player.
The No. 1 doubles team of Sherinsky and sophomore Katrina Tiedeman (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) easily dispatched the Cecil team of Maria Andrade and Rachel Melholic, 8-1, to start the match and the No. 2 team of freshmen Courtney Brewer (Street, Md./North Harford) and Kate Tiburzi (Fallston, Md./Fallston) followed suit, defeating Rachel Jackson and Cara Wilson, 8-1, as well.
Brewer also picked up a win in No. 2 singles, defeating Meholic, 6-1, 6-4 and was named the MVP of the match by head coach George Budelis for her efforts. The rookie fell in her first collegiate match at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-1 against Gloucester, but earned the win at No. 2 singles on Thursday as well as taking part of the No. 2 doubles win.
Freshman Kelsey Strine (Abingdon, Md./Edgewood) and Tiburzi also earned individual wins as Strine defeated Jackson, 6-4, 6-1 in the No. 3 slot and Tiburzi dispatched Wilson, 6-0, 7-6 (9-7) in the No. 4 spot.
Tiedeman faced Andrade at No. 1 singles and after losing the first set, 6-2, came back to win set two, 7-5, but fell in the final set, 6-2, to give Cecil its only win of the day.
The Fighting Owls return to competition on Friday when travel to face fellow MDJUCO opponent Hagerstown for a 3:00 p.m. match.
